WATER
Withgott and Brennan, Chapter 11; omit Marine Systems (p.
257-262 )
Objectives: Students should be able to
- Explain and sketch the hydrologic cycle
- Discuss water quantity issues including dominant
water uses, areas of concern, and possible solutions
- Discuss sources and varieties of water quality
problems and their possible solutions.
- Differentiate between a point source and a non-point
source
- Describe how drinking water and wastewater are
processed in the United States
- Describe the Catawba River watershed and name its
lakes in order.
- Use the Catawba River, Wind River,
Colorado River, Klamath River and selected other locations as
examples of human interactions with watersheds
- Describe the causes and possible solutions for ocean
pollution and overfishing
FRESH WATER
Water Quantity:
Central case: Colorado River
Hydrologic
cycle: components (vapor, precipitation, surface and ground water);
processes (evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitation, runoff,
infiltration); humans are now a part of this cycle
Global water balance: uneven distribution of a finite
resource; western and eastern US water quantity issues
Dominant water uses:
agriculture, industry and domestic; typical proportions in US and other parts of
world
Possible solutions: changes in behavior, desalination, economic incentives
Other examples: Ogallala Aquifer, Catawba River basin, Klamath River
basin, Aral Sea, China's Three Gorges Dam
Water Quality:
Definition of pollution: consider water use when judging
pollution
Main varieties and their sources: What are they, where
are they, what are their sources, and why are they a problem?
- Nutrients: P and N; oxygen-demanding wastes (issues with BOD)
- Pathogens and diseases
- Thermal pollution
- Sediments
- Toxic chemicals including hydrocarbons, inorganic chemicals
(metals, salts, acids and bases) and organic compounds (plastics, pesticides,
pharmaceuticals, pigments)
Point sources vs. non-point sources: What are they?
Know some examples
Drinking water and wastewater treatment: basics
Importance of wetlands
Clean Water Act
Examples: Catawba River basin, Wind River basin, well
water in Bangladesh, Yangtze River
SELECTED OCEAN ISSUES
Use of oceans: transportation, energy and minerals, fishing
Human impacts: trash, oil pollution, excess nutrients, overfishing
Solutions to overfishing: consumer choices, marine reserves, changes
in fishing methods